Jiang Ling watched, her eyes full of longing.
In an entertainment industry market dominated by women, where over 80% of consumers were female, a preference for men was bound to be the norm.
When it came to looks, male celebrities' popularity and fan engagement were at least three times that of female celebrities.
Back then, with Sparkle Media's powerful marketing, she had become an overnight sensation based on her looks, but her follower growth hadn't been this explosive.
Facing the sudden surge in his follower count, Jiang Yulei was clearly caught off guard.
What the hell?
How did his followers increase so much?
And there were so many people in the comments calling him "husband"?
When had he gotten married?
The old Jiang family's inherited憨劲儿 (hān jìn'er - earnest/simple-mindedness) was fully passed down to Jiang Yushuang.
As her younger brother, Jiang Yulei had inherited about twenty to thirty percent of it.
With a rather long reaction time when it came to life and relationships, Jiang Yulei couldn't quite grasp why he had suddenly become so popular at this moment.
If he had won Best Actor and gained so many fans, he could have understood it.
The problem was, his drama had only aired one episode, so why had he inexplicably become a hit?
Seeing Jiang Yulei's immense popularity, the happiest were Jiang Yushuang and their long-absent younger sister, Jiang Yuxue.
Next were Guan Suying and Jiang Ling.
Jiang Yulei's role as Xiao Ting was that of an antagonist. If his looks hadn't earned the audience's approval, he would have been heavily criticized.
Now, seeing his fans growing so rapidly, the anxious knot in their stomachs finally loosened.
...
Jiang Ling munched on melon seeds, lounging on the sofa, engrossed in the drama.
[Classic masterpiece detected, locking role for host!]
[Ding! Role locking, congratulations to the host for obtaining the supporting role of Hai Long in "Phantom Sky"!]
Upon hearing the system's prompt, Jiang Ling initially perked up, thinking she would get to play another classic role she admired.
Hearing the title "Phantom Sky" and the character name Hai Long, she froze again.
"Hai Long? Who is Hai Long? I don't recall a drama called "Phantom Sky" in my previous life."
Jiang Ling, completely bewildered, quickly asked the system.
[This system aims to provide the host with classic roles to portray. While there were many classics in your past life, it doesn't mean there aren't great works in parallel universes. Even a poor bamboo can produce good shoots, and this "Phantom Sky" will be a classic that countless future movie fans will never forget!]
[Its status among audiences in the parallel universe is comparable to "Farewell My Concubine" in your past life.]
Hearing the system's words, Jiang Ling's eyes lit up.
As someone in the industry, she knew exactly how classic "Farewell My Concubine" was in her previous life.
Especially the portrayal of Cheng Dieyi by that elder brother, "obsessed to the point of madness," was truly, truly... classic.
If a parallel universe had such a masterpiece comparable to "Farewell My Concubine," she certainly couldn't let it pass her by.
At this moment, the system's voice sounded again.
[However, I must remind the host that although "Phantom Sky" is a classic, its theme is too profound and lofty, making it difficult for audiences to understand. Its fate is similar to "The Rise and Fall of the Ming Dynasty: 1566," where it initially faltered, lay dormant for a decade, and only then shone brightly to become a classic masterpiece. Please prepare yourself mentally!]
Jiang Ling listened and smiled faintly, "Good things take time. Waiting a few more years isn't a big deal."
What she wanted were the system's rewards; she didn't care when this role became a classic.
After all, she had already played so many classic roles; one more or one less made no difference!
Let alone ten years of dormancy, even another ten years wouldn't bother her.
...
At the same time, director Dong Haisheng was struggling with casting for his new film, "Phantom Sky."
The main leads and most of the supporting cast had been found, but the role of the supporting character Hai Long was causing him considerable distress.